Your TESOL certs are virtually worthless (less than 120 hours and no observed practicums with real students). CELTA is KING in Thailand but is not necessary to get a job.

Would you be able to get a job = yes.

2) Yes and no.
Yes, if you want to see what you are jumping into.
No if you are either brave or foolish.
Since you are paying for your own flight anyway you might as well get the lay of the land before you sign on the dotted line and commit yourself for a year.

It is too bad that you are so late. The BULK of hiring in ESL in Thailand happens between mid March and mid May. The new school year starts in mid May and the bulk of ESL teachers are absorbed into the regular school system (as compared to a few years ago when the bulk worked in dodgy language academies (they are still here).

The worst times to arrive are from Dec - mid March. Jobs are hard to find (end of the school year) and due to the competition from backpackers looking to extend their winter in the sun the wages for what few jobs you can find tend to be 1/2 what you would get otherwise.

As to the

thayes1987 wrote:

Im not really looking to save money, just have a good time while I'm there.

...
Working in entry level ESL is a GRIND:
8-9 hour days at school and
Not within a few hours drive of the nearest beach.
Hot as Hades and only a fan for cooling,
Large classes (50 students is not uncommon in a public school)
Low pay (700 pounds per month with no benefits) for newbie teachers.

If you can come within the next couple of weeks, you should still be able to get a last minute position. There are still tons of ads on the popular teacher site for Thailand (PM me if you want the site address). Most agencies are still filling last minute spots and will be for the next 2-4 weeks.

SO many schools do things last minute here. I know schools that JUST started looking for teachers or JUST signed with an agency yesterday even though the school year started on Monday for most schools.

Agency jobs are not the cream of the crop but neither is your resume to be honest. You probably wouldn't do much better anyways (unless you look like Brad Pitt with a Tom Cruise smile and can act like Mr. Bean).

Yes, EFL in Thailand is a grind some days, but once you learn some basics, it can be easy/fun a lot of days as well.

PM me for details. Dont wait for this year, soon all that will be left is crappy language school jobs and other rejects.

If you can come within the next couple of weeks, you should still be able to get a last minute position. There are still tons of ads on the popular teacher site for Thailand (PM me if you want the site address). Most agencies are still filling last minute spots and will be for the next 2-4 weeks.

Dont wait for this year, soon all that will be left is crappy language school jobs and other rejects.

Is this to say that you think all language school jobs are crappy? I look at the ads on the site you referred to, and it seems that most are for teaching kids, and many out in the public schools. That sounds hellish to me, so I've shied away from pursuing them. Part of it comes down to personal preference, of course, but it seems to me that as long as the wage isn't rock-bottom, a language school is a better option.

If you can come within the next couple of weeks, you should still be able to get a last minute position. There are still tons of ads on the popular teacher site for Thailand (PM me if you want the site address). Most agencies are still filling last minute spots and will be for the next 2-4 weeks.

Dont wait for this year, soon all that will be left is crappy language school jobs and other rejects.

Is this to say that you think all language school jobs are crappy? I look at the ads on the site you referred to, and it seems that most are for teaching kids, and many out in the public schools. That sounds hellish to me, so I've shied away from pursuing them. Part of it comes down to personal preference, of course, but it seems to me that as long as the wage isn't rock-bottom, a language school is a better option.

I think that the reference wasn't to infer that all language schools are crappy (lord knows there are enough of them that are however) but that the only ones left looking for staff in June, July and August are the ones who couldn't get or couldn't retain anyone due to their poor quality (but the most newbies wouldn't know the difference anyway).

Anyone can find a job teaching English in the LOS. You can volunteer or teach at any of the thousands of language schools or through an agency. Since savings is not an issue with you this shouldn't be a problem. Good luck in your search!

I think that the reference wasn't to infer that all language schools are crappy (lord knows there are enough of them that are however) but that the only ones left looking for staff in June, July and August are the ones who couldn't get or couldn't retain anyone due to their poor quality (but the most newbies wouldn't know the difference anyway).

But the language schools run year round, not adhering to a term schedule, don't they? If that's the case, I don't understand why turnover or job availability would be dependent on the season in a country like Thailand.

I think that the reference wasn't to infer that all language schools are crappy (lord knows there are enough of them that are however) but that the only ones left looking for staff in June, July and August are the ones who couldn't get or couldn't retain anyone due to their poor quality (but the most newbies wouldn't know the difference anyway).

Yep.

Quote:

But the language schools run year round, not adhering to a term schedule, don't they? If that's the case, I don't understand why turnover or job availability would be dependent on the season in a country like Thailand.

Some (usually the better/bigger ones) will hire teachers full time (pay monthly) and on 1 year contracts rather than part time (pay per hour). They hire when needed obviously. It is just good timing or knowing someone if you want these jobs. The ones that deal with children (most of them) are obviously connected to the school year and thus their hiring trends tend to occur in reaction to the school year. They will often hire full time staff to take care of the standard/usual class load and then they will often hire/let go of part time teachers throughout the year to deal with any increased/decreased demand for classes.

There are always language school jobs available, but judging just by job advert volume, It looks like they tend to do a lot of their main hiring at the same peak times.

Personally I would hate to work at a language school full time. Ive done weekends in the past.

There are always language school jobs available, but judging just by job advert volume, It looks like they tend to do a lot of their main hiring at the same peak times.

Personally I would hate to work at a language school full time. Ive done weekends in the past.

Thanks for the clarification. For me, if I can deal with smaller groups of mostly adults, it's worth the cost of language school hassles, at least for a while. But I did it full-time for a solid year in China and was exhausted by the end of the contract. I hope to find shorter stints in the future.